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TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 22, 2016

Dustin Johnson

Atlanta, Georgia

THE MODERATOR: We'll welcome our current FedExCup leader and co-leader here in the first round. Talk about the day and maintaining your momentum from the BMW Championship.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I thought I played pretty solid today. I hit a lot of good shots, hit a lot of greens. I felt like -- I don't know how many fairways I hit. I thought I hit a decent amount of fairways.

You know, this golf course is very difficult, and I felt like I played it pretty solid, hit a lot of nice iron shots. You know, wasn't real aggressive, but some of these flags, you can't really be aggressive. You've just got to try to hit it 20 feet one side of it and have an uphill putt.

But I thought I wedged it nicely today and hit a lot of quality iron shots.

Q. [ No microphone ]?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I had 165 hole, and I hit an 8 iron out of the bunker. It was a very nice shot to start the day. I was just worried about getting it out of the bunker, but, obviously, I hit it really solid and a good shot.

Q. [ No microphone ]?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, it was pretty close to the lip.

Q. Dustin, congrats on a great round. What is most challenging about the setup there at East Lake here?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, driving it in the fairway is the most challenging part out here. You know, it's a premium for sure. This rough's deep. The ball sits on the bottom every time. So you really got to hit it in the fairway.

The golf course isn't real long, but if you're in the fairway -- I mean, if you're in the fairway, you know, you get a decent amount of short irons in your hand, but if you drive it in the rough all day, it's just no fun.

Q. Jason Day was saying that he's aware of the scenario, the pictures of what's going on around him. To what extent does that apply to you as well, if at all?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, obviously, you kind of know, but it doesn't really -- I'm not really thinking about it. The only thing I'm thinking about is playing as well as I can play, and each shot that I'm hitting, I felt like I was really relaxed out there today. I've got a lot of confidence in the game right now. So I'm looking forward to this week and seeing how good I can play.

Q. You almost got it all the way through there on 18. It looked like you might have even brought the water into play. Did that ever even enter your mind that that was possible?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. On the tee I knew -- I didn't hit it hard off the tee. I just kind of hit a soft cut because I knew, if I hit one hard, there was a chance it was definitely going to go way through. I knew I was going to hit it right to the end.

You know, it was just -- there wasn't enough wind for me to hit a 3 wood and still be able to get it down the hill. So I just hit a driver anyways.

Q. In terms of feeling relaxed, when do you not feel relaxed out there? And how could anyone tell?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I guess that's a good point. I mean, sometimes I guess, but when I'm really struggling -- I haven't struggled much this year. I don't know, I feel like I've got a lot of confidence in the game. So it helps me stay relaxed and helps me stay focused and, you know, just -- I just try to stay focused on each shot that I'm hitting and where I want to hit it.

Q. Keep asking guys who are trying to get a spot on the Ryder Cup team what they're thinking about this week. You're obviously on the team already. Is there anything you can do this week to sort of help you go into next week?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, keep playing good golf, definitely. And keep rolling the putter while it's -- you know, the Ryder Cup -- it's every week, but especially in the Ryder Cup, it's all about making putts. You've really got to roll the putter well if you want to win your matches, if you want to win the team matches or even your individual match.

But I think, if I can keep putting well, then I'll be dangerous for sure.

Q. Dustin, does playing a predominant cut do anything to help you on this golf course that maybe wasn't opened up to you before with your draw?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I don't think so. This course, it's fairly straight. I mean, a lot of the holes are really straight. So it doesn't really matter which way you shape it.

You know, for me, I feel like I hit more fairways playing a cut, but that's on any golf course, not just this one.

Q. It seemed like it was a little bit windy, gusty, off and on depending on where you were on the golf course. A gust would come up, and then it would lay down. Did that give you any consternation out there today?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, the wind was kind of -- I felt like it was all over the place today. It would blow, then it wouldn't. It would come from one direction, and the next minute it would come from the complete opposite. So you just kind of had to play the wind as you felt it at that moment when you're hitting it.

Q. Do you think you can putt ordinary and win? If that's the case, what does that do confidence-wise for the rest of your game?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. I mean, I've done that a few times, I feel like. Just putted okay. I mean, at -- I don't think I putted great at Akron. I made my short putts but wasn't really making anything outside eight feet. You know, and kind of the same thing at the U.S. Open. I just hit the ball really well at both of those. You know, they were tough golf courses.

This one, they're kind of similar golf courses as far as toughness-wise. Here is just kind of the same way. You know you've got to hit it really well around here.

Q. How many weeks would you say you've had where you hit it great and putted great?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Not yet. Maybe at HSBC Shanghai. I felt like I hit it pretty well and putted pretty well there. At least for three rounds. That was a few years ago. I don't know when -- I won.

Q. 2013.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: 2013? Perfect.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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